Sunday, November 6, 2011

Attack of the Trip Advisors

Tripadvisor – some people love it and others hate it. But there’s no doubt the world’s biggest travel review website is making a huge impact on the travel and hospitality industry – so much so that Channel 4 in Britain has dedicated an entire show to it.

Producers of ‘Attack of the Trip Advisors’ have found some of the most petty, vindictive and bitter individuals to feature on the show. Take Ricky. He was disgusted that his bed linen at a B&B wasn't changed after just one night's sleep. He knew this because he marked one of the sheets. Apparently Ricky has a scaly skin condition that requires him to sleep on fresh bed linen every night.

In quick succession come other critics complaining about a stained carpet and about the food. In another episode, guests Sean and John visited a B&B and didn’t even take time to unpack before running through a checklist of potential complaints, including water left in the kettle and a mucky toilet brush.

Property owners in turn bemoan the power nit-picking and vindictive guests have by posting negative and, in many cases, false reviews . And they are beginning to fight back.

Does all of this make good TV? Apparently so. The show it very popular in the UK. The only question is how soon 'Attack of the Trip Advisors' will make its debut in the U.S.